Joe Biden tells African leaders U.S. is 'all in' on the continent

President Joe Biden has told dozens of African leaders gathered in Washington the United States is “all in on Africa’s future"

President Joe Biden told dozens of African leaders gathered in Washington that the United States is “all in on Africa’s future,” laying out billions in promised government funding and private investment on December 14 to help the growing continent in health, infrastructure, business and technology.

“The U.S. is committed to supporting every aspect of Africa’s growth,” Mr. Biden told the leaders and others in a big conference hall, presenting his vision at the three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit of how the U.S. can be a critical catalyst.

Mr. Biden, who is pitching the U.S. as a reliable partner to promote democratic elections and push critical health and energy growth, told the crowd the $55 billion in committed investments over the next three years — announced on Monday — was “just the beginning”.

He announced more than $15 billion in private trade and investment commitments and partnerships.

“There’s so much more we can do together and that we will do together,” Mr. Biden said.

The President after his speech spent some time with leaders, including Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, watching Morocco’s World Cup match with France. Morocco lost but made history as the first African team to advance to the tournament’s semifinal round.

The United States has fallen well behind China in investment in sub-Saharan Africa, which has become a key battleground in an increasingly fraught competition between the major powers. The White House insists this week’s gathering is more a listening session with African leaders than an effort to counter Beijing’s influence, but the President’s central foreign policy tenet looms over all: America is in an era-defining battle to prove democracies can out-deliver autocracies.